Chicken thighs are a favorite of mine because they’re inexpensive, easy to prepare, tender, juicy, and quite versatile. So I was really excited when they went on sale last week. I’m always looking for new ways to season them up or infuse flavor (see Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs, Honey Sriracha Chicken Thighs, and Soy Dijon Chicken Thighs), but decided to go with something very simple and delicious this time around. So I mixed up a very basic marinade with balsamic vinegar, garlic, a little freshly ground pepper, soy sauce for salt and depth, and a touch of brown sugar to balance the acids. The sweet and tangy marinade absorbed right into the tender meat and gave these Balsamic Chicken Thighs more flavor than a girl could ask for.
I served these tasty Balsamic Chicken Thighs with some Skillet Potatoes and Green Beans, but they’d also be great with some rice or pasta to soak up all the delicious juices (just spoon it from the baking dish over top of your plate). Or, just make sure have some crusty bread on hand for sopping.
I love baking chicken thighs in the oven because it’s easy and hassle free, but this recipe would also work quite well on the grill. The little bit of brown sugar in the marinade will caramelize on the outside of the chicken for a deep, caramel-y flavor. Oooh, I’m so happy it’s outdoor grilling weather again! I <3 spring!
Balsamic Chicken Thighs
Servings 4Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar ($0.80)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.04)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.10)
- Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.10)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs ($2.40)
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional) ($0.25)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and combine it in a bowl with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and a healthy dose of freshly cracked pepper (about 20 cranks of a pepper mill). Place the chicken thighs in a shallow dish or heavy duty zip top bag and pour the marinade over top. Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 1 to 8 hours. (You can do this before you leave for work in the morning.)
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the chicken and marinade into a baking dish. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Use a spoon or baster to bathe the chicken with the juices from the bottom of the dish once or twice during baking.
- Remove the chicken from the oven after 45 minutes and sprinkle a handful of freshly chopped parsley over top.
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Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Balsamic Chicken Thighs – Step by Step Photos
To make this super simple marinade, just mince two cloves of garlic, then combine them in a bowl with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and a healthy dose of freshly cracked pepper (I use this McCormick grinder). While fancy balsamic vinegars ARE usually better tasting, I just used a basic, widely available brand (this one) and it tasted quite good. I’ll save my good stuff for sprinkling over salads or dipping some nice bread in.
Place four (or six) boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over top. You can also do this in a heavy-duty zip top bag (probably a gallon size), but I was out of those. Refrigerate the meat and marinade for one to eight hours so it can soak up all that goodness. I don’t bother trimming the fat off the meat because a lot of it melts off the chicken as it bakes (plus, I like the flavor), but you can before adding the marinade, if you prefer.
When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the meat and all the marinade into a baking dish (you can spritz it with non-stick spray to help cleaning later, if you wish). Bake the chicken for 45 minutes, using a spoon or baster to bathe the meat with the juices once or twice during cooking.
Sprinkle the Balsamic Chicken Thighs with a handful of chopped fresh parsley for garnish (or fresh basil if you have it growing in your garden!) and serve. NOM.
What a pretty springtime meal! I just need some bread to get all those yummy juices from the Balsamic Chicken Thighs into mah mouth!
My dad called this delicious dinner, “elegant”. :)
Served on a bed of cooked white rice with liberal amounts of marinade ladled on top of the rice and fresh parsley sprinkled on top to add color/flavor.
Totally amazing. Thank you!
I made this just now, and it is DELICIOUS. I don’t use a lot of salt when cooking, and I was worried the soy sauce might make it too salty, but I used a low-sodium soy sauce and it’s wonderful. Thanks!
I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great! My first time cooking chicken thighs.
Hey Beth,
Love everything you do…Keep up the good work. Wondering if we can make this chicken on a stove top in a nonstick pan??
Thanks
YOU ARE AMAZING…
Probably, yes. It’d also work well on a grill! You can boil the marinade for 15 minutes or let it simmer until it reduces to replicate the juices left in the bottom of the baking dish.
Works great on the grill w/some grilled asparagus as a side and a nice salad with balsamic/honey/mustard vinaigrette.
I used to be so scared of thighs (not just my own) because I thought it was like dark meat gone wrong. And then my mom told me Chipotle uses thighs in their bowls because it’s juicy, tender and versatile, basically all the things you said! And their cheaper than white breast. Balsamic is tasty too, yum!
The sauce for these chicken thighs looks delicious. I don’t usually make thighs, but your recipe is making me crave them!
These sound so delicious! I am a fan of your site and tool around from time to time looking for recipes, no idea why I haven’t subscribed but I took care of that tonight! I was wondering if you or anyone else ever made a list of your recipes by price, it’d be fun to see cheapest to most expensive (though I know they are all Budget Bytes!).
Made this with chicken breasts tonight… AMAZING! First chicken recipe I’ve been able to make that was actually tasty and moist. I cooked mine for 35 minutes, covered with foil for the first half. The sauce was so tasty!
Hi Beth,
Just wanted to thank you for your wonderful blog. I made this tonight for dinner and it turned out wonderfully. I made it with some breasts and some thighs…thighs only next time for me. I’m off to get your cookbook next!!!
Hello Beth! I can’t wait to try this! Question: if I were to spray the baking dish with non-stick spray before adding the chicken/marinade, would that mess this up (make it too greasy? Weird?) When I made your honey-sriracha chicken, all the sugars somehow completely stuck to my Pyrex dish – probably because I over-cooked it, but nothing ever sticks to that thing! (it was delicious, anyway!) Sorry if this is a stupid question…Thank you!
Yes, you can definitely spray it with non-stick spray and it won’t cause any problems. :) (and no, it’s not a stupid question!)
Yum! Looks good. This might be a silly question – can I just marinate it in the baking dish (a pyrex thingy w a cover)?
I did. It worked just fine. I turned the chicken over every thirty minutes, for about 4 hours, in the marinade, since it didn’t completely cover the chicken. This was really delicious.
I also turned the chicken over every 15 minutes during cooking to prevent it from drying out.
Next time I think I will try covering the dish with foil to help keep it moister.
Yes you can. Great thinking! :)
Yes! I’m going to make this tonight. Thank you!
This looks awesome! I never know what to do with chicken, and I think I am hesitant with it because it always turns out dry. I have 2 chicken breasts I want to do this with… would the baking time be the same?
The baking time will probably be a bit different, but mostly because of the size of the chicken. It’s hard to say how long it will need to bake without seeing the size of the chicken breasts. I’d start with 30 minutes, then cut one open to see if it’s cooked through.
This Looks Delicious! I get excited whenever you post a new recipe.
Also just wanted to point out that you say “Place four (or six) boneless, skinless chicken breasts” in the picture steps.
Ooops! Thanks for catching that! :)
Hey Beth! Love all your affordable recipes, I continually visit your site to find something tasty and affordable. My question is… can you perhaps add a link to “this goes well with”..side dish, dessert, salad, etc.? I believe I’ve seen these helpful links like this before, I just want More! More tasty links! : )
That is definitely something I need to do more of! I’ll try to be more disciplined with it! :)